Action Force Monthly 6
Action Force Monthly #6 was released in November 1988. Original material As Thick as Thieves! In the Cobra headquarters a screen shows many Cobra battle vehicles approaching an island and engaging with Action Force dragonflies. Tomax and Xamot pause the screen and turn to Destro, standing in a court room dock watched by Serpentor, Cobra Commander and the Baroness. The twins explain that the trial is of multiple charges against Destro, accusing him of disloyalty. Destro responds that Cobra's goals are his own and proceeds to tell the purpose of the assault on the island. :A month earlier Destro received information about a new device, the Broadcast Energy Transmitter (B.E.T.) which can beam energy all over Earth, duplicating it like a reflective mirror up to six times. Destro tells the court that such a device would be very powerful and useful to Cobra so he set about capturing it... :...but in reality he worried it would destroy his oil business and sought to destroy it. Destro tells the court he did not seek Serpentor's approval as he wanted to make it an especial gift. However he did not count on the device's base being defended by Action Force. :The B.E.T. was located on a tropical island with an Action Force team guarding it when Hawk arrived with a group of officials to observe the device being tested. Suddenly Cobra F.A.N.G.s attacked, followed by Rattlers and Morays. Action Force responded both on foot and with Dragonflies. Meanwhile Destro used the cover to land. He commented to himself that he should have just used a missile to destroy the B.E.T., but a Cobra Trooper reminded him that he would never be able to explain it away as misfortune of war. Destro proceeds to put his spin on what happened on the island itself, claiming he was securing the B.E.T. for transportation when he was attacked. :After landing Destro sneaked up to the B.E.T. and started to plant a bomb when it was shot out of his hand by Flint. The two struggled but the bomb fell in the sea and was useless. Seeing his troops flee Destro followed. The twins argue that if Destro had called for help then he would have been properly informed about the numbers he would face. They call Cobra Commander as a witness, who argues Destro has never followed orders and prevented "my days of glory, my hour of blood". Serpentor suddenly halts the trial to ask why Destro led the unauthorised attack. Destro responds "Cobra needs the Broadcast Energy Transmitter!" Suddenly Serpentor's concentration lapses and the room fades away, to be replaced by another decorated with serpents. He finds it very familiar. Before him stands a woman who repeatedly tells him "Cobra needs the Broadcast Energy Transmitter!" and he declares she is the woman of his desires. Serpentor comes to in the court room and declares Destro is right about the need for the B.E.T. He terminates the trial, declaring that as Destro acted out of "love for his master" he shall be forgiven and then goes to rest. Cobra Commander declares he is not impressed but Destro produces a data port and inputs it into the computer. He demonstrates that he placed a tracer on the B.E.T. and can now locate it in the Himalayas, and would have used this as a trump card in the trial. Cobra Commander leaves and Destro confides to the Baroness that he stumbled through the trial and came out lucky. They discuss what Serpentor said of his vision of the serpent city but head off to await further developments. In the Himalayas Dusty bemoans being stationed there to guard the B.E.T. but when pressed by Flint he concedes there are no mosquitoes or "any bugs at all!", not seeing the tracer hidden on the B.E.T.! Featured characters Featured Vehicles & Equipment Errors * Items of note * This story serves as a prelude to Action Force: The Movie which was released on video in the UK on 19 September 1988. * Consequently the story reflects the cartoon's status quo, rather than that of the comic where Cobra Commander was never an underling of Serpentor. As a result it is hard to place this story in continuity with other Action Force comic strips. Killer Instinct! Edmunds, a manager at a Central Electricity Generating Board power station, recalls how one afternoon he came out of the office to see a man shot dead by Footloose. :Footloose explained the dead man had a detonator for explosives to destroy the power station. Edmunds followed Footloose when suddenly a Crimson Guard stepped out with a gun and demanded the detonator. Footloose tossed it over and used the opportunity to lash out and overpower the guard. Edmunds urged him to kill but Footloose responded that the guard was now no danger. Edmunds was angry and looks to the gun but Footloose talked him out of it. Edmunds now reflects that that afternoon he discovered he had a killer instinct "and nothing could ever be quite the same again". Featured characters Errors * Items of note * Reprinted material * "Ancient Relics!" Part Five from Action Force weekly #27. Due to an error it was not renumbered to "Part Six". Errors * Items of note * Footnotes Category:Marvel Comics issues